Marvel Comics’ Ultimate Universe is doing what the previous iteration did by surprising readers with deaths that they don’t see coming. The difference is, this time, characters aren’t simply killed off for shock value; no, when a character is either killed or brutally beaten, it happens for a reason and has a purpose in the storyline. That trend continued in Marvel's Ultimate Hawkeye No. 1.
In Ultimates No. 5, Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Lad) and Steve Rogers (a.k.a. Captain America) were surprised to see Tony's tech being used since Clint Barton declined to become Hawkeye in Ultimates No. 1. After seeing the discarded costume, bow, and arrow, Charli Ramsey (who is non-binary and goes by they/them) took the opportunity to use the gear to help people. After an encounter with Captain America, they became a member of the Ultimates.
Since becoming Hawkeye, Charli has helped the Ultimates attempt to take their world back. Among the missions has been stopping Roxxon. The billion-dollar corporation eventually gets its revenge on Charli by luring them into a trap. This leads to them fighting someone named Ronin. Now, if you’re a fan of Marvel Comics or have seen Avengers: Endgame, then you know who was behind the mask. It’s none other than the person who refused to be Hawkeye, Clint Barton.
Super villain Exterminatrix forced Charli and Clint to fight. If they refused, she’d kill their family. Ronin is easily winning, but he eventually loses after Charli uses an arrow to blind Clint. When Exterminatrix told Charli to kill Clint, they refused. That leads to the villain shooting the original Avenger with a bullet that turned him into gold.
Despite not killing Ronin, Charli is spared and removed from the arena. When they wake up, they find that Roxxon has left them a note saying that their debt to them is paid, and Charli is welcome to become Ronin. The corporation then ends their note with a threat, saying that if Charli raises another against Roxxon, they will kill Charli’s family in front of them and then cut their throat.
It’s unclear if Clint Barton is dead for good. Yes, he was turned to gold, meaning his organs stopped working. At the very least, he can’t breathe. And that means the hero is dead for now. Nevertheless, people have survived weirder things in comics.
Hawkeye is one of the most popular Marvel Comics characters of all time, thanks in no small part to his portrayal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (in which he is played by Jeremy Renner). It's hard to believe that any story would kill him off for too long.
Since this is the Ultimate Universe, it could be the last we see of Clint Barton... at least as a hero. Roxxon is the kind of company that would desecrate a body by using it for evil. At that point, Charli would kill Clint and consider it a mercy. If that happens, Bam Smack Pow will be here to report it.
Thanks for reading. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow’s social media pages on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter for more Marvel comic book, TV, and movie news, opinions, and rumors as they come out.